The Waterworks.

Manawatu Times, Volume LXV, Issue 1360, 5 July 1911, Page 5

The Waterworks.

OHECK AND COUNTER OfIEOK. OR NATHAN'S MOTION. AND A VERY CURIOUS DISCUSSION.

The Borongh Engineer reported at Jast night's meetiug of the Onunoil as follows:-" Work at the Tititea is proceeding sit sfactorily. The "bottom portion of the profiling abont 15 feet high is in position, and this has been tilled in with concrete np tithe level of the top ot the Beodnd step of the eld portion of the stroo* tare where the second row of Hie tie • rails are to be put in The banker platform on which the concrete is mixed is being raised, and arrangemoots are in hand for exoavaiiiig the ohasi in the roufc above the present water level for the fine coucrete watertight tongue, and also at thn i "bjok faoe ot the dam- loi the reoeption'of the-coarser concrete, which there forms the key with the rook." OR. NATHAN SPEARS HIS MIND When the above was read in the Engineer's report, Or Nathan said lie had an important motion in regard to the waterworks, and now was his opportunity. His motion most not be regarded bs one of nooonfidenoß in-the engineer. If there was anv blame it was not attiohable to the'/engineer, but to the oounoi'.. He moved as follows: ■ "As the engineer has stated that lie is nnable to definitely state how deep iuto the hilUun either side he will have to cat to get solid rock to iey his walls he would move:--(l) That he will immediately t?ke such st»ps as will enable him to report to ■ the cocnoil what depth of.exoavatipn is required to reach solid rook tor the whole extent ot the work, (a) That he will further report to the counoil whether the oost of molting • snob rook is beyond the estimate that he has already made and upon ' whioh the loan was voted. (3), Tbat , such report shall be laid before tue oonncil at its next fortuigntly meetinc. (4). That the engineer receive instructions from the council to forthwith prepare lull and pro.per ■ specifications for the work tbat is at jmsent being oarried out at the ieservoir." ' OUT OP ORDER. The Mavor said lie was not against the mot'iou, bot thought notice Bhonld be given. However, he wonld leave it to the oonncil, whether it ie .dealt with at the meeting or by notice of motion. < most of the Oonnoillors signified their willingness that the motion be dealt with forthwith. Or Haydon thought that there should be notioe' of motion so that . Oonnoillors wonld have time to go into thei matter. Or Nathan said he could not Hive a notioe at last week's meeting as'time wonld not allow, and he required iarfcher partioulais. He had not an opportunity, lately of bringing the ', matter up. because for the last two meetings there had been no waterworks repoit. If-this work was not ■ done without loss of time the men \ would, have to knock off, which j would be serioos to them. The mat- j ter Bhonld not be'pnt off any longer. , Trie Mayor said that now one Ooun- j oilloM ha 1. sooken against dealing , witli the motion at that meeting lie , would rule that it required notioe. f " Or Haydon said lie would not ob- ] jact to the motion being dealt with , at onop. ' i The Mayor said he was not agalust ] tbe motion but notioe should be j given. The matter should not be | oealt with hurriedly, but oould be , flealtvWithat the Public Works Oom- , mittee meeting on Friday evening. ; Or Nathan said he would be away in Wellington until the evening of tbat day. Wonld the Mayor bring up the matter.for him? Tiio Mayor said that Or Nathan Dbnld'himself bring, the matter up after he arrived baok in the evening j itaiu. ~'■'' The Mayor ruled that the motion ' In brought, forward at the Public "Works Committee meeting on Fci- - day evening. MERELY COMMON SENSE. j Or Stubbs, however, continued the I ' debate, saying it was not a question i of engineering, but merely of oomnion sense »b to whether the engineer j •should not have thoroughly prospered before the oonnoil went ' blindly into the matter. He thought . Nathan'was right to, bring the, matter up, and lie would like to see his motion oarried. THE ENGINEER EXPLAINS. j The engineer said the whole of the , spaoifloation was really oontained in | his report. He anticioated no difli- ] cnlty whatever and they should ; lecognisi that he had had somß ex- : pjrience of the nature of the rock in i connection with the old dam. "HARD LUOE." After, farther explanations of a t'chnioal nature by the eugiuf er, Or , Nathan said it seemed hard luck that ( he should be voted out of order, and that Or Stabbs and the engineer should both be permitted to speak on the Bubject. However, tue engineer had said that he intended giv- , -Jng definite instructions that the treuch in the side of tho hill Bhonld ; ha done at onoe. bo there the matter , ended meanwhile. , TOO LATE. Or Olausen said the qutstion should [ have boen raised when, the scheme , wis first discossid. It was too late now. Theoouuoil wnscomuiittpd to s the saheme and had to go on with it. A OOMMON FAULT. Or Armstrong said tbe fault msicly rest3d with the oonnoil. Iu engineering work of the kind the. council should not take anything for granted till full and exhaustive investigaiiouß had been made by the engineer. Works of the kind wen too hastily taken in band, and that was where the fault lay. Such faults were common all over New Zealand and were not confined to local bodies only, batJiediad, known of similar hurried undertakings by the Public "Works Department. It was the most rotten system under which works ooul'l be oarried out. TUB MAYOR DISCLAIMS BLAME The Mayor-If Or Armstrong is prepared to take the blame, I'm . not. We pay the engineer a lar&e salary and the ratepayers do not expect the Oonnoillors to act as engineer. The engineer has his reputation at stake, and if anything gnss wrong,he is tc bhme. The Mayor adtittl tint the matt°r ■ hid been discussed by the council time end again before the eugineer's report was adopted. THE DAM MUST GO UP. Or Haydon said the action of the

oonnoil iu discussing the matter that night w«b more damaging than anything dooo in the past. Such a (lisj oiission would make the public, who lead the newspapers, immediately say that the tlatu was a failure. Personally, lie had implicit faith in the engineer, and thought the dam would turn out all right. "Even if it does oost a little more money," added Or Haydou, "we will have to j hud it. Thatdammmtgoup." | ' This ended the disouseion. 1 Or Nathan gave notice' of motion 1 that the engineer be instructed to ' (oitliwith piepare specifications ot ; the work which is beiug carried ont ! at the reservoir. 1 It was stated in a subsequent discussion that the matter wonld not be (lisoussed at the Pobllo Works meet- \ iug on li'riday, so presumably it will ' fnrther oconpy the council at the 1 nest regular meeting.